Atheist having problems with my own mortality?

Question

I've been an atheist my whole life but have recently been having problems dealing with the fact that I may die at anytime and that is the end. I've been feeling a lot of pressure lately to "make my mark" on the world, but I'm stuck being a housewife and am on disability with little money.
Can anyone relate?
I just don't want to die without some sense of accomplishment.

Answer 1

Death is inevitable. So, it's not really something to worry about.

None of us really make a large mark in the universe. At most, we make a small dent on the speck of dust called Earth.

If you want a purpose in life, you have to make your own. Nobody's going to just give you one (though some may use you for their purposes.)

Enjoy life. Don't worry about doing the impossible, because you probably won't do it. If you have children, then you live on through them. Otherwise, you live on through the memories of any friends that survive after you. Build friendships. Connect with people. Then you'll start making more of a mark in life. In the meantime, realize that all experiences in your life, good and bad, add to it.

Answer 2

I am Atheist, I had the same type of problem a few years ago.. I was diagnosed with cancer (multi system in remmission)... I kept thinking what have I done that will leave my mark when I am gone.. In talking with my mother I realized my mark was made 3 distinct and different times in my children.. They are each wonderful individuals who I learn from and teach every day..

My 19 yr old Gennypher is bright, caring , sweet, she draws people toward her.. We can not go anywhere without all eyes going to her because she fills an entire room when she walks in the door.. There is something about her that instantly puts people at ease and makes them smile.. She is a "scatterbrain" she will have 15 projects going because 1 or 2 just isn't enough.. She is known to burst into spontaneous dance to a song in her head, then look surprised when she is the only one dancing, so she sings the song so everyone can dance... She wants to be journalist so she can use her pen to improve the world..

My 17 yr old Keeth is a brilliant book genius with very little common sense.. ( he can figure out the most difficult math problems but can not operate the washing machine even with detailed step by step instructions... I know I have stood there and took him step by step through it and the clothes don't get washed, the soap forms into a lump and it all goes wrong.. It's not the machine because I can restart the exact load and it all goes right LOL) He is quiet, he has a sharp dry humor that many people don't understand because the humor isn't at face value it deeper.. He draws peoples eyes not because of his personality but because he is very tall 6'6" and still growing.. He is always the first to laugh at a joke and always the last to stop laughing.. He wants to be a Medical Research Scientist so he can make the world better by curing diseases..

My 10 yr old Micaila is funny.. She is the comedian actress of the family.. A simple scraped knee can become a 3 part mini series when she tells the story and she lays all the parts.. Her smile lights up a room.. She is a "noticer" if you have on a new/diferent tie/dress she will notice it and complement... If someone is sad or upset she is always the first to give a hug.. She is a "Florence Nightinggale" always checking people for fever or cough when she thinks they don't look well.. She loves dresses the fuller skirt the better so she can spin.. She is forgetful, I can't tell you how many times she has gone to the kitchen for a glass of water and had to come back and ask "What did I go to the kitchen for?" She wants to be a Vetranarian so she can make the world better by helping animals.. She is also thinking about being President because in her words "I am bossy so I want to be the boss."

My mark my great accomplishment is my children... I am raising them to know they can make a lasting difference in the world around them.. My children are like pebbles dropped into a pond.. Their ripples will extend out farther than even I can imagine for them.. When and if they have children the ripples will continue...

You just need to look at it in a different way, it doesn't take loads of money to make your mark... You may already have started the ripple that will be your mark and not even realize it..

Dying or the prospect of dying can be a frustrating time I see some people telling you that you are feeling this way because you haven't found religion that is incorrect everyone feels a sense of looking back to see what they have accomplished when they see death looming.. My grandfather a very religious man looked back, as has every other person religious or not that I have ever talked to (I worked in a hospital for years and have seen a lot of people die) Everyone wants to know that they have left a mark and most people don't see that mark until someone else shows it to them..

If you choose to search out religion that is your choice.... Go with what your heart tells you and you will see that your mark is left...

Answer 3

~~~ Silly,,,, I too am an atheist who is disabled and have had my biggest dreams shattered, seemed like all my studies and efforts were wasted as they cannot be utilized now and that I had squandered all my 'extra' time. I had huge plans of accomplishment when Life dictated otherwise. It is a Lesson in Futility to play the "What if,,," Game,,, or to be jealous of those with Resources who party away the night and spend frivolously, or have high positions of Power and abuse it, or both. We have been given this gift of life and this particular Lifetime to make the best within our Destiny by using our other precious gift of Freewill. You will find no greater reward than in helping someone else with someone that you have the power to help. It may sound trite but it's true. You need a Fresh Perspective. Accept that which you cannot change. Change that which you can. Put your Focus on something that fulfills these things and you will find contentment. Ultimately, It's your own choice,,, ~Namaste`

Answer 4

I can. It's hard. I live with the knowledge of what I could be and how far it is from what I can manage.

There aren't any real answers. Stay away from self-help books, they all assume that it's your thinking, not your body, that's holding you back. Don't watch so much television, even if it's easy. Make a difference in one person's life.

On my darkest days, I consider the fact that human civilization will be wiped out eventually. The marks we make will disappear. So in a few gazillion years, it won't matter that I didn't get a PhD or write a book or have a kid.

Do what you can to make one person's life a little easier. And value that for the accomplishment it is.

Answer 5

The internet is always a good place to help people. Spread your wisdom on Yahoo Answers. Help people.

Just because you're an atheist doesn't mean you can't help people in a spiritual way. Or would psychological be a better term?

I recently heard a story about a young man who went on a global pilgrimage to "find God." He went country to country and tested all the holy places. Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shamanism.

When he landed at Lourdes in France, he had no money left and was very depressed. God was lost to him. The priests there put him up in the hospital. In a cot. They let him work helping the handicapped get out of the hospital and on to the train. And vice versa.

You may not know what Lourdes is. Lourdes is a place where the Blessed Mother appeared. It is a place of grace and healing. The sick and the handicapped go there by the hundreds. Daily.

This young man found peace (notice I didn't say found God...) helping those people. Just getting them on and off the train. That's all it takes. Give of yourself. Not your things. Even a housewife has things to offer. How to sew. How to make bread. How to play card games. News on the best soaps. What Oprah said yesterday. How to mend socks.

Spread the wealth!

Answer 6

Do something creative; I would suggest writing since you have a computer which you can utilize. Writing a novel was my solution to my mortality; I self-published it which entailed expense, and, naturally, it would be preferable for you to find a publisher, but that is difficult for a previously unpublished author. If you can afford to self-publish, you will have arranged for your own creation to exist in the Library of Congress of the United States(providing you are American) where it will remain so long as this country prevails, and, after all, nothing is forever! The sun will cease to shine eventually. If you are truly atheist, you must accept that to leave something of your creating is the most you can do. If you absolutely can not afford to self-publish, you might write an e-book and post it on-line. Good luck. We all want to leave our marks upon the world and to be remembered here whether or not there is an afterlife.

Answer 7

What kind of mark do you hope to make?

Not everyone can paint a great masterpiece or find the cure for cancer.

If you are a housewife, I'm going to assume you have children. What is going to "live forever" is the love you have for them. When they have children (etc) they will pass on the love you showed them.

Your friends, and family and everyone else you meet is an opportunity for you to make your mark. Be kind, be funny, be yourself. Be the best you you can be. That can make as great an impact as anything else.

I saw something on the news a few weeks ago about some woman who went around hugging people. Apparantly she gives the best, most loving hugs even to strangers. People travel for miles to get a hug from her. She's making her mark, I would say.

Answer 8

You'd be surprised what a housewife who is on disability can do when she puts her mind to helping people. Check into your local civic clubs. They are always in need of enthusiastic members. Like me, you might not be rich and cannot afford to make a big difference by yourself, but when you get a lot of people working together, things happen. Some clubs will even wave annual dues for those who prove that they will be active members. Every organization has people who are happy to stroke a check; finding people who will actually do something is much harder.

You might also look into Interfaith Alliance and see if they have any projects going in your area. Our Humanist community has found it very rewarding to work with our neighbors of faith to help people in our community--e.g., assembling toiletry packages for the local battered women's shelter. http://www.interfaithalliance.org/ Lots of organizations are desperate for administrative help. If you can't do anything but answer phones or make calls, that might be a tremendous help. It's amazing what you can do with a telephone and enthusiasm.

Cee T: What does belief in a supernatural being have to do with helping real people right here and now in the real world? Believing that this life is the one and only one you'll get has a way of spurring one to make the best use of that precious time.

Answer 9

There are two things that will sustain your memory after you die, the people you leave behind who you have helped, and your artistic creations. Take a painting class at the local community college or buy some software to create music on your computer. Make recordings for your loved ones, or keep a journal. That will leave your mark on the world in a very meaningful way.

Answer 10

It's hard, isn't it. There is no comfort in death, and it is inevitable.

What can I say about something which is so unresolved in my own heart. I'll tell you what gives me some comfort. Take it for what it's worth.

We have today. That's all we really ever have, isn't it? The rest is promise and memory. Live now. Do it with passion. Take chances, and trust you heart. The memories will be sweeter and the promise greater.

We're only here for a short while. That makes it important. As far as I can tell, that's about all we have. It is enough.